The Gift of Family
by Cobrilee
Summary: Sometimes when your best laid plans go awry, it's the universe's way of saying you were planning wrong. AKA, Derek loves being a dad. (Sequel to Best Laid Plans.) Part 5 of A Very Sterek Christmas.


**A/N: I love that everyone who commented on Best Laid Plans wanted to see Christmas morning with Danica and Stella! This was initially meant to be the second scene in BLP, but I got to the point where I ended at and realized it really felt right where it was. So then of course I had to do a sequel with the second scene, which didn't end up being what I initially planned, but I like it _so_ much better. (See? Plans change, and that can be a very good thing.)**

"MERRY CHRISTMAS DADDY!"

Derek groaned laughingly as Stella launched herself into the bed between him and Stiles, flinging her arms around his bare chest and squeezing him tightly before rolling over and doing the same thing to Stiles. "MERRY CHRISTMAS DADS!"

The differentiation in their titles had come from Stella, naturally. She'd called Derek "Daddy" almost immediately, and Stiles had asked what she planned to call him so they'd know which of her fathers she was talking to. She'd tilted her head to the side adorably, her nose scrunching up in thought before saying decisively, "I'm going to call you Dads."

Stiles had looked at her quizzically. "Why Dads?"

"Because. His name is Derek, which starts with a D, so he's Dad-D. Your name starts with an S, so you're Dad-S. Daddy and Dads."

Danica had rolled her eyes long-sufferingly at her little sister, and the purely _Derek_ expression had Stiles choking on a snort of laughter. When Danica had looked wounded, as if she felt like Stiles was laughing at _her_ , he rushed to explain that he loved that Danica looked and acted so much like Derek did when dealing with Stiles' goofiness. She'd smiled shyly, glancing over at Derek from underneath lowered lashes, clearly very pleased at being compared to her father.

Derek looked over at his older daughter now, noticing that she was hanging back, looking as if she wanted to join in the family fun but still not entirely sure of her welcome. The uncertainty in her eyes made his heart ache but he gave her an encouraging smile, gesturing for her to join the dog pile her little sister had started. She took a few hesitant steps to the edge of the bed, and Derek grinned devilishly before sliding an arm around her tiny waist, lifting her off her feet and flinging her into the middle of the bed with Stella.

A startled shriek burst from her lips and she immediately covered her mouth, shocked that the sound had come from her.

"Nica was loud!" Stella crowed, delighted giggles tripping over her lips, and Danica flushed.

"It's about time!" Stiles kidded, ruffling her black hair affectionately, and she beamed as she snuggled into his side.

Derek smirked at the pixie-ish brunette who was bouncing on the mattress between them. "I think Nica is only quiet because she can't get a word in edgewise around you," he teased the little girl, and she giggled again.

"Just like you and Dads," Danica affirmed, grinning in spite of herself. "The way you always just sigh when he's talking fast like Stellie does."

"It's hard being the one who has to listen to these chatterboxes all the time, isn't it?" Derek asked, winking conspiratorially, and Danica nodded, her eyes bright as she turned her face back into the thin gray T-shirt covering Stiles' chest while Stella draped herself over Derek's legs.

Derek couldn't remember ever feeling so complete in his entire life. Not even the day he'd married Stiles, the one person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, the only person who'd ever managed to make him truly _happy_ since the loss of his family, could compare to this moment right now. His daughters were the joy in his life that he hadn't realized was missing.

He scooped Stella off his legs and cuddled her against his chest, reveling in the little arms flinging themselves around his neck. His relationships with the girls, as well as Stiles' with them, were ever-evolving and never ceased to amaze him. He and Danica had bonded quickly because of their similarities, just as Stiles and Stella had, but Danica fairly worshipped Stiles, and Stella had become Derek's little shadow. He loved that he could have a deep relationship with each girl for different reasons, and he knew Stiles felt the same way. The wondering tone in Stiles' voice whenever he and Derek sat up at night talking after the girls had gone to bed always tugged at Derek's heart.

He'd thought, long before the topic of children had come up between them, that Stiles would be the natural parent and he'd be the one to struggle. Knowing that the idea of fatherhood terrified his husband had torn at him, but conversely it relieved him as well. This was a journey they'd take together, and they'd deal with all the curveballs together.

"So are you two ready to see what Santa brought you?" Stiles asked eagerly, and Danica sat up, rolling her eyes and looking so much like a mini-Derek that the full-size version wanted to laugh and shake his head ruefully at the same time.

"You know we know that Santa isn't real?" she sighed patronizingly, her voice tinged with pity at Stiles' cluelessness.

He feigned shock and sadness, clutching at his chest while Stella giggled. "But Santa is _magic_!" he protested.

"We didn't have much magic at Thurston House," Danica replied, shrugging, and Stiles swallowed while Derek winced.

"Then maybe you should go downstairs," he suggested, trying to keep his voice light instead of letting it betray the emotions swirling through him. "Maybe you'll end up believing in magic again."

Stella's eyes widened and she scrambled out of the bed, followed by a much-more-animated Danica. Stiles' feet hit the floor as he grabbed for his phone, pulling up the camera while he followed behind the girls so he could start snapping pictures as soon as they saw their haul. Derek was out of the bed in an instant, snagging the blue hoodie Stiles had gotten him the previous Christmas and pulling it over his head before heading down the stairs behind his family.

Their gasps and cries of delight hit him right in the stomach, and he rounded the bottom curve of the staircase to see them staring, stupefied, at the sea of gifts. "Are these all ours?" Stella squealed, and Danica turned wide, disbelieving eyes on her parents.

"Most of them," Stiles admitted, an ear-to-ear grin splitting his face. "The ones in the black-and-silver Christmas tree paper are Daddy's, the ones in the red reindeer are mine."

"Which ones are mine?" Stella asked, the gears visibly turning in her brain as she calculated the number of gifts in each of the other two prints.

Danica picked up one in a gingerbread pattern, brown on green, and handed it to Stella. "These are yours," she said, and Stella quirked an eyebrow at her.

"How do you know?" she demanded, and Danica shrugged.

"You love cookies. Dads would know that and get you the right paper." She picked up another, smaller present wrapped in blue-and-white snowflake paper. "And he knows how much I love the snow."

"Yeah, 'cause you're crazy," Stella snorted, and Derek could see Stiles swallowing back a chuckle.

Pasting a stern look on his face, he sank down until he was squatting in front of the little girl. "You remember the rule about not being mean to your sister," he reminded her, and she sighed.

"I know, Dads." She cast a glance over her shoulder, clearly anxious to get to the presents, and Stiles smiled as he stood back up.

"What are you girls waiting for? These presents aren't going to unwrap themselves!"

Derek smiled as their daughters dove in, shrieking and giggling as they ripped and tore through the pile. Stiles joined him as he watched, slipping his arm around Derek's waist, and Derek's arm came up to circle his husband's shoulders.

"Best Christmas ever?"

"Best Christmas ever."


End file.
